Zachotila stara babka sylne bahatity,
Posadyly kurop’yatu, shchob vyvela dity.
Shche z bo ne svit, shche z bo ne svit, shche z bo ne svitaye,
A vze baba kurop’yata nadvir vyhanyaye.
A vyhnala stara baba kurop’yata pasty,
Sama sila pid pryz'boyu kuzelynu pryasty.
Chmarka yde, chmarka yde, doshchyk nakrapaye,
A vze baba kurop’yaty do chaty zhanyaye.
A shche z ne dohnala, troye nadtoptala,
Na chetverte spitknulasya, a na p’yate vpala –
Vsya pracya propala.
Sila babka na pechi ta i borshchyk chlepche,
A kurycya pid polom ta y do baby shepche:
– Oy babusyu, babusyu, shcho budesh robyty?
Yak pryyide did iz lisa, bude babu byty.
A pryyichav did iz lisa do svoyoho domu,
Pytayet'sya svoyey babky pro svoyu chudobu.
– Oy didusyu, didusyu, ne vynna ya budu:
Ya vyhnala nadvir pasty,– navrochyly lyudy.
A vyskochyv did nadvir ta vchopyv prytyku,
Pobyv babu, polomyv do samoho pypu.
– Boday tobi, didusyu, prava ruka vsochla:
Pobyv mene, polomyv, malo ya ne zdochla.
Boday tobi, didusyu, holovka oblizla:
Pobyv mene, polomyv, shcho y z pechi ne zlizla.
Sila babka pid prypichkom az u zatdiyinku,
Yak pohlyane did na babu – shche y krashcha za divku.
– A vberysya, babusyu, v zeleneye zillya.
Nechay ze ya povedu choc' raz na vesillya.
Zachotila vraza baba sylne molodity,
Natykala za chalyavy zelenoyi ruty.
Vzyav did babku za ruchku popid chesnu vrodu,
Vyviv yiyi na mistok – shelep k chortu v vodu!
– Otut, babko, kaysya, otut ne lyakaysya,
Otut bizucha vodycya, otut i vmyvaysya.
A shcho baba blysne, to did druchkom svysne,
Bulkotala, bulkotala, bo vze rakom stala.
A stav did na mosti ta v doloni pleshche:
– Chvalyu Boha, vtopyv babu, ozenyusya ya shche.
A yde did dodomu ta tropachka rize,
A yak hlyane nazad sebe – baba z vody lize.
Vzyav did babu za ruchku, zaviv yiyi u svitlycyu,
Povazav, yak sam znav, pervu molodycyu –
Yak sya did ohlyadiv, k chortu ne hodyt'sya.
Vzyav did babu za ruchku ta poviv yiyi v sad –
Kolyuchyi vynohrad: – Otut, babka, kaysya,
Po cim vynohradi choc' raz pokachaysya.
Oy misyacya oktyabrya prypala porosha,
Tym did babku polyubyv, shcho babka chorosha:
I slipa, i kryva, shche y bez ruky pravoy,–
Oy shche z bo ya ne vydav takoy babky bravoy.
A did babku sporyadyv na prypichku posadyv,
Spravyv yiy kozushok to z kyc'ok, to z pac'ok,
Aby babi kozushok.
– Oy dyvysya, babusyu, yak to krasno v kozusi.